Picnic box



July 14, 1953 N. B. MARTIN E-rAL PICNIC BOX NORA MART/N Bf( ERIC K-LOTTHAMHER v Il 4 Filed July 12, 1951 Patented July 14,M 1953 PICNIC BOXNora Bridges Martin, Chicago, Ill., and Eric K. Lotthammer, Jamaica, N.Y.; said Lotthammer assignor to said Martin i Application July 12, 1951,Serial No. 236,362

3 Claims. (Cl. 20G- 4) This invention relates to picnic boxes.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a portable picnicbox having various insulated food and soda compartments which are keptin a cooled conditionV by the cooling action of ice cubes or dry ice andto prevent sandwiches from spoiling while at the same time maintainingsoft drinks and dairy products in a cooled condition. Y

It is another object of the invention to provide in a picnic box anassembly of trays or compartments wherein one of the trays may containthe cooling medium, such as Dry Ice and the other compartment willcontain a soda bottle or drinks, the ice compartment being beneath thecold drink compartment to afford maximum cooling for the soda drinks andthe third compartment being engageable with the principal compartmentover the soda `water compartment and adapted to contain sandwiches whichdo not require the cooling that the soda drink requires. The sandwichcompartment thereby being more remote from the ice compartment.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a picnic boxhaving an insulated cooling compartment containing ice cubes or Dry Iceand which is readily removable by the user.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a picnic box havingreadily removable external parts to permit access to the top and bottomcompartments and wherein access to the intermediate or soda watercompartment is effected by the removal of one of the outer compartments.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a picnic box which is ofsimple construction, easy to assemble, inexpensive to manufacture,sturdy and rugged, compact, of pleasing appearance and efficient inoperation.

For a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to thefollowing detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a picnic box embodying the features ofthe present invention.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional View of the picnic box taken on line 2-2of Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the locking device forthehinged top cover.

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of the locking device taken on line4--4l of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on line 5-5 ofFig.` 4.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view showingthe detailsofthe means for locking the base of the picnic box in place.

a coin thereinto.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary transverse sectional View taken on line 'I-l `ofFig 6.

Fig. 8 is an exploded perspective view of the compartments with portionbroken away from one of such compartments to show the interiorconstruction thereof.

Referring now particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, I represents an outer bodyshell having an integral side wall I9 with an inwardly turned rim fiangeI5 at the bottom and an integral inwardly turned rim I9 at the top.Shell I is provided with a removable bottom 2 and an inner 3` secured tothe shell 2.

The inner surface of the outer base shell 2 is provided with shoulders32 adapted to resiliently engage the edges of inner base shell 3 andalso to prevent horizontal displacement of the same. A layer ofinsulation I2 is inserted between the outer base shell 2 and the innerbase shell 3.

Releasable means are provided for locking the outer base shell 2 to thelower horizontal rim I5 consisting of four lock lugs 4, whichrespectively extend through openings 33 located in each corner of theouter base shell 2. The lower horizontal rim I5.is provided withcorrespondingly locatedlug seats I6 adapted to engage lock jacket `lugs4 when the same are in. the engaging position. Slots cut in the heads ofthe lock lugs 4 allow them to be turned by the insertion of By rotatingthe lock lugs 4 a quarter of a turn in either direction, the lugs 4 aredisengaged and the base shells 2 and 3 can be removed. The lock lugs 4also serve as feet which keep the basket `proper from contacting theground.

The large compartment 6 is fitted into the shell body and is retainedtherein by the upper and lower rims I9 and I5. The central glasscompartment 6 is insulated from the shell body I by insulation I3.` Theinner central body vthereby extends substantially the whole length ofthe shell body I and is retained by the rims. A removable lower glasscompartment 5 rests on the upper surface of the inner cover shell 3 whenthe same is in place on the shell body I. This lower glass compartment 5is filled with ice cubes or Dry Ice before insertion Vin the picnicglass box and serves to cool the central glass compartment 6. Aremovable upper glass compartment 'I is fitted in the upper partof thecentral compartment B and rests upon the shoulder 20 thereof. Thiscompartment serves to contain sandwiches and such foods which do f not`require the cooling that is. required by the bottled or liquid goodswhich are disposed in the Y adapted to resiliently engage the inwardlyturned flange 36 of the outer cover shell 8. VA layer of insulation I 4is inserted between the outer cover shell 8 and the inner cover shell 9.The underside of inner cover shell 9 has cemented thereto a rubbergasket 31, said gasketserving as a heat insulator and also to hold theuppery glass compartment 1 in position.

The outer cover shell 8 is provided with a handle 2l for carrying,hingesI for attaching lit to the outer body Vshell I on one sidethereof,

andlock assemblies for releasably securing the outer cover shell8 to theouter body shellv I Yon the other side thereof.

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 3, 4, and 5, each of the lockassemblies comprises an upper lock arm 25 permanently fastened to theouter surface of the outer cover shell in 'conventional manner, a lowerlock arm 2G connected at its upper edge to the upper lock arm 25 bymeans of a hinge, the lower lock arm 26- being provided with lug seats21, a lock knob 28 adapted at the inner edges thereof to engage the lugseats 21, the lock knob 28 containing on its inner surface a guide pin219 permanently connected at its inner ends to the outer body shell I inconventional manner, the lock knob 28 also containing on the innersurfacerthereof a flanged spring shell 3E) resiliently connected at theouter end to the lock Vknob 28 and adapted on its inner edge to movehorizontally upon the guide pin 29, and the helical spring 3i closedwithin the flanged spring shell 28. The enclosed spring 3|, concentricwith the guide pin 29 and the hanged spring shell 3D, keeps the lockknob 28 in normal engagement with the lug seats 21. To

:disengage the lock assembly, the lock arm 28 is Ypulled outwardlydisengaging same from the lug seats 21. The lock knob 28 is then given aquarter of a `turn in either direction to allow the inner edges of thelock knob to be swung away from the lug seats 21.

The cover may now be swung open permitting access to the upper glasscompartment 1.

YReferring now to Fig. 8, it will be seen that the upper glasscompartment 1 is provided with a central partition 23, having a slot 2litherein. The slot 24 provides a handle, permitting removal of the uppercompartment 1, and access to the central glass compartment 6. Thecenttral glass compartment 6 is provided with a partition 22. Thispartition provides an auxiliary compartment in which butter and otherdairy products may be kept separate from the soda.

It should now be apparent that there has been provided in the presentinvention a. novel picnic box having various accessible insulated foodandV soda compartments which are kept in cooled condition by the coolingaction of ice cubes or Dry Ice, said picnic box having an insulatedcooling compartment containing ice cubes or Dry Ice and which is readilyremovable by the user. Further, there is provided a novel picnic boxhaving a readily removable uppercompartment 4 leaving access to thecentral soda containing compartment.

While various changes may be made in the detail construction, it shallbe understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scopeVbase to said outer body shell comprising four lock lugs located in eachcorner of said outer base shell, the lower horizontal rim of said outerbody shell being provided with lug seats engaging said lock lugs, saidlock lugs havingheads provided with slots, a removable lower glasscompartment resting on said inner base shell in nesting relationship tosaid outer body shell, said lower compartment having a rubber seal onthe upper edges thereof and a central glass compartment receiving theupper edges of said lower compartment in nesting relationship to saidouter body shell, the lower Walls of said central compartment extendingbeyond the bottom thereof and surrounding said lower compartment andfurther extending downwardly to rest on the lower horizontal rim of saidouter body shell, the upper walls of said central compartment extendingupwardly to the top of said outer body shell, a layer of insulationinserted between said central compartment and said outer body shell, a'removable upper glass compartment in said central compartment in nestingrelationship thereto, a removable cover for said outer body shell, saidcover comprising inner and outer cover shells, a layer of insulationinserted betweenV said inner and outer cover shells, and a rubber gasketcemented to the underside of said inner cover shell, and means forreleasably securing said cover toV said outer body shell.

2. A picnic boX comprising an outer body shell, the upper and lowerportions of said body shell being turned inwardly at substantially rightangles forming upper and lower horizontal ends, a removable. base forsaid outer body shell, said base comprising inner and outer base shellsand a layer of insulation inserted between said inner and outer baseshells, releasable means for locking said base to said outer body shelland comprising four lock lugs located in each corner of said outer baseshell, the lower horizontal rim of said outer body shell being providedwith lug seatsengaging said lock lugs, said lock lugs having headsprovided with slots, a removable lower glass compartment on said innerbasev shell in nesting relation to said outer body shell, said lowercompartment having a rubber seal on the upper edges upper horizontal rimof said outer body shell,

said upper walls being provided on the inner edges thereof with ashoulder, a layer of insulation inserted between said centralcompartment and said outer body shell, a removable upper glasscompartment resting on the shoulder of said central compartment innesting relationship thereto, a removable cover for said outer bodyshell, said cover comprising inner and outer cover shells, a layer ofinsulation inserted between said inner and outer cover shells, and arubber gasket cemented to the under side of said inner cover shell, saidgasket contacting the upper edges of said upper compartment whereby toseal same, and means for releasably securing said cover to said outerbody shell comprising hinges rotatably securing said outer cover shellto said outer body shell on one side thereof, and lock assembliesreleasably securing said outer cover shell to said outer body shell onthe opposite side thereof, each of said lock assemblies comprising anupper lock arm fastened to the outer surface of said outer cover` shell,a lower lock arm connected at its upper edge to said upper lock arm bymeans of a hinge, said lower lock arm being provided with lug seats, alock knob engaging said lug seats, said lock knob containing on itsinner surface a guide pin, connected at its inner end to said outer bodyshell, a flanged spring shell movable horizontally along said guide pinand resiliently connected at its outer end to said lock knob, a

helical spring enclosed within said spring shell whereby said lock knobis held in normal engagement with said lug seats, said cover beingprovided on the upper face thereof with a handle.

3. A picnic box, according to claim 1, wherein the central glasscompartment is provided with partitions dividing same into innercompartments, the upper removable glass compartment being provided withpartitions dividing same into compartments, the central partition ofsaid upper compartment having provided therein a slot whereby saidcentral partition may be gripped like a handle to effe-ct removal ofsame from the lunch box.

NORA BRIDGES MARTIN.

ERIC K. LOTTHAMMER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

